Stephen A. Smith casts doubt on Eli Manning's Hall of Fame candidacy
Former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is a future Hall of Famer. Will he become a first-ballot Hall of Famer? That's been a recent hot debate.
Manning was announced as one of 25 semifinalists to be inducted into this year's Hall of Fame class, coming in his first year of eligibility. People have mixed opinions on Manning being deserving of a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith spoke on "First Take" with the panel and gave his opinion on why he doesn't feel Eli Manning should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. While he acknowledged what Manning has done in his career, he doesn't think Manning is one of the best quarterbacks of all time.
"First thing's first, he's not a lock for first ballot," Smith said. "He's not a lock for first ballot, I'm dead serious. I love Eli Manning. Right, he's going to the Hall of Fame. But to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, I wanted to make sure that I had these numbers right. We're talking about Eli Manning here."
Smith continued:
"It's 16 seasons, he made the postseason six times. He missed the postseason 10 times. He's a career .500 quarterback. 117-117. Okay, I'm looking at that kind of stuff Dan Orlovsky and I'm like, 'Wait a minute, we have to be honest.' Four Pro Bowls, 16 seasons. Again, Hall of Fame is inevitable, he's a two-time Super Bowl champion. When I'm talking first ballot, I'm talking about greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, I'm thinking about his brother."
Manning is one of six first-time elgible players to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Linebacker Luke Kuechly, defensive end Terrell Suggs, safety Earl Thomas, place-kicker Adam Vinatieri and offensive lineman Marshall Yanda have all reached the semifinal stage.
Eli Manning's NFL career and why he deserves to be a Hall of Famer
There's no doubt Eli Manning will join his brother Peyton and will be Canton-bound soon.
Manning has thrown for 57,023 passing yards, which ranks 11th all-time. He also has the 11th-most passing touchdowns in NFL history with 366.
Most importantly, Manning helped the Giants win two Super Bowls, being named Super Bowl MVP in both games. He happened to defeat Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in both games.
Manning was a four-time Pro Bowler and was named Walter Payton Man of the Year in 2016.
On the flip side, Manning never threw for more than 27 touchdown passes in a single season and has only thrown 25 or more touchdown passes in just two seasons. He never threw for more than 5,000 yards in a single season and never had a season where he had a passer rating of over 100.
Do you think Eli Manning will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer?